Abbaspour Raman, Weisbrodt Sarah E, Nauhria Samal, Chan Madeline, Rawji Ali Kasim, Bokaei Jazi Parham, Maity Sabyasachi
Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, CAN.
School of Podiatric Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Harlingen, USA.
Cureus. 2025 Jul 4;17(7):e87294. doi: 10.7759/cureus.87294. eCollection 2025 Jul.
This systematic review explores the effects of vegetarian diets on the physical and mental well-being of health sciences students, a demographic known for high academic and psychological stress. We conducted a comprehensive search across major databases, adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, and identified 22 relevant studies. Our findings suggest that vegetarian diets are associated with lower incidences of chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease and obesity and promote better cardiovascular and metabolic health outcomes compared to non-vegetarian diets. Notably, vegetarian students could display lower systolic blood pressure and waist circumferences. Contrary to the positive physical health outcomes, the review presents mixed results concerning the mental health impacts, with some studies indicating no significant effects and others suggesting potential risks for increased anxiety and disordered eating behaviors. The review underscores the need for further research into the nuanced impacts of vegetarian diets on this specific population, suggesting that while the physical health benefits are evident, the psychological effects require deeper investigation to fully understand their scope and mechanisms.
本系统评价探讨了素食饮食对健康科学专业学生身心健康的影响，这一人群以高学业压力和心理压力著称。我们按照系统评价与Meta分析的首选报告项目（PRISMA）指南，在各大数据库中进行了全面检索，共识别出22项相关研究。我们的研究结果表明，与非素食饮食相比，素食饮食与冠心病和肥胖等慢性病的较低发病率相关，并能促进更好的心血管和代谢健康结果。值得注意的是，素食学生的收缩压和腰围可能更低。与积极的身体健康结果相反，该评价在心理健康影响方面呈现出混合结果，一些研究表明没有显著影响，而另一些研究则表明存在焦虑增加和饮食行为紊乱的潜在风险。该评价强调需要进一步研究素食饮食对这一特定人群的细微影响，表明虽然身体健康益处明显，但心理影响需要更深入的调查，以全面了解其范围和机制。
